Safe or vault.



No. 793,132. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. H. D. HIBBARD.

SAFE OR VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 798,132. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. H. D. HIBBARD.

SAFE OR VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1903.

ZSHEETS-BHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. HIBBARD, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MANGANESE STEEL SAFE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NE\V JERSEY.

SAFE OR VAULT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,132, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed August 19, 1903. Serial No. 169,961.

1'0 (LZZ whom/ it In/10y (JON/(3677b! Be it known that I, HENRY DEMINH llrn- BARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Plainlield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Burglar-Proof Safes or Vaults, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to burglarn'oofsafes or vaults, and more particularly to that class thereof known as rotary or screw-door safes or vaults, the object of the invention being to provide an unmachineable or non-workable metal body and rotary door, each of an integral structure, with locking means effective to lock the door on the rotation thereof formed of machineable metal so located that the strains thereon are transmitted directly and carried by the solid metal of the door and body, respectively, instead of having such strains received by bolts or other fastening means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manganese-steel integral safe or vault body and a similarlyformed rotary door, with locking threads or lugs formed of machineable metal secured to the body and door in such manner that the use of fastening bolts or devices for holding such parts to the body and door are entirely dispensed with.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a crosssectional view of a part of this improved safe with the door shown as closed, the section through the door being taken on two ditferent points, as indicated by the broken line. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one part of the rotary locking means; and Fig. 3 is an interior view of the safe, showing one form of means for preventing rotative movement of the door.

In manufacturing screw-door safes constructed of uumachineable or non-workable metal such, for instance, as manganese steel, which, as is well known, cannot be worked in any practicable manner except by grinding it is desirable in order to provide a practical Structure of this kind to form the locking threads or lugs of machineable metal. \Vhile lugs or threads can in some instances be formed integral with the door and body, such a structure is not as desirable, not only because of the cost of manufacture, owing to the length of time necessary to grind the threads, but for other reasons not necessary to enlarge upon in this specification. Several attempts have been made to form the locking-threads separate and independent of the dooras, for instance, by forming the mutilated threads upon amachinoable ring and securingsuch ring to the door by bolts projecting into soft-metal inserts located in the door, also by attempting to cast the metal forming the body of the door around such ring, and also by securing such ring to the door by wedge-shaped looking members maintained in position by dovetail recesses in a disk formed on the inner side of the door, all of which are necessarily weak in construction and ineffective to withstand the tremendous force of nitroglycerin, and actual demonstrations have proven that it is not possible in any practicable manner to secure a ring to the door by means of bolts embedded in soft-metal inserts, since, as was shown by these demonstrations, nitroglycerin will either break off the bolts which secure the ring to the door or pull the door away from such bolts by stripping the threads embedded in the soft-metal inserts. These demonstrations clearly showed that a burglar-proofsafe cannot be made by using bolts or other fastening devices to secure the locking screwring to the door, since such bolts cannot withstand the strain caused by the force of high explosives. To those who are familiar with the peculiar characteristics of metal, particularly manganese steel, it is also a well-known fact that it is not m-acticable to castsuch metal around a part of workable metal, since one recedes or shrinks from the other, so that the two parts will be connected at best but loosely, and consequently there would be considerable play and backlash in the door, so that nitroglycerin could be readily inserted into thejam b around the door, which could not be tightly closed owing to such play. Consequently the object of this invention is the provision of a screw door safe in which, as hereinbefore stated, the body and door can be made ofunmachineable or non-workable metal, while the locking threads or lugs may be made separate from such body and door and of machineable metal, but so maintained in position that any strain which comes upon the same will be transmitted to and carried by the body and door, so that the threads or lockinglugs, while formed of unmachineable metaL'are so located in position that to all intents and purposes they are integral with the body and door of the safe and do not need any independent or separate means for maintaining such parts in position in so far as resistance to strain is concerned. To accomplish this object in one way, (another way being shown in copending application, Serial No. 169,963, tiled August 19, 1903, of myself and IV. M. Stone,) the door and body of the safe or vault, preferably cast of manganese steel and somewhat similar to those shown and described in my prior patentst'or instance, Patents Nos. 662,428 and 662,429, dated November 27, 1900, and No. 67 9,382, dated July 30, .1901ar'e in the present instance provided, the door in its periphery and the body in its circular jamb with annular recesses 2 and 3, registering with each other when the door is closed. In the annular recess 2 of the body is located a ring 4, of machineable metal, (shown formed of sections, shown herein as four,) to facilitate thelocking means, which may be in the form of continuous threads, or in the form of interrupted threads, or in the form of lugs, or any other suitable form adapted for the purpose. In the present instance the ring is shown provided with interrupted female threads 5. Located in the recess 3 of the door is a similar ring 7, carrying upon its periphery the cooperating locking male threads 8. By locating each ring in a recess, with its side faces in firm engagement with the side walls of itsrecess, it will be seen that the strain upon the ring, and especially upon that one which is carried by the door, will be received and carried by the solid metal of the body and door, respectively, since it will be obvious that the strain in any attempt to pull the door fromv its seat by high explosives or otherwise is necessarily depthwise of the door. By this mode of securing the rings in position it is not possible to separate the ring from the door or from the body, the side walls of the recesses preventing this.

Instead of forming the threads or lugs or locking means upon continuous rings they could be formed on sections separated one from another and located in pockets or independent recesses of the door and body. In other words, the recesses inthe door and body need not necessarily be continuous ones. To prevent the turning-or slipping of the rings around the door or in thedoor-jamb, suitable means may be provided. In the present instance each recess is provided at its und er side with'several' sockets or openings-9, into which soft metal is located for the reception of the ends of suitable bolts 10, projecting through the rings. By means of these bolts the rings are prevented from slipping lengthwise in their recesses. In the form shown: the ringcarrying recesses are located in the rear of the offset or step 12. These recesses are formed during the casting of the body and door, respectively.

For preventing the door from being rotated after it is screwed home suitable locking means are provided, comprising in the present instance a set of bolts and means for antomatically throwing and retracting the same. For this purpose I locate on the interior of the door-flange 12 a supporting-plate 15, which may be maintained in positionin any suitable manner, as by means of bolts embedded in soft-metal inserts; but in the 'form shown it is frictionally secured in position, it being in the form of a disk and wedged in a circular recess 16, adjacent to the body proper of the door. Secured to-the flange of the door by bolts extending into soft-metal inserts or in any other suitable manner is aback plate 50. Carried by this back plate, which in the present instance isshown as somewhat chambered, is the automatic or time lock for controlling the locking-bolts, and thereby the opening of the safe. Between these two back plates is located a. disk 17, such disk being carried upon a stud 25 of one of the back plates, shown as the plate 15. This disk has recesses 18 in its periphery, illustrated as four in number, into each of which fits one end of a bell-crank lever 19, pivoted to one of the back plates, the opposite endot which fits into asimilar recess 20-in-the shank of alocking-bolt 21., which works in. an opening22, formed in or at one side of the male screw-ring to permit the outer end thereof to extend into a recess 23, formed in or at onesideof thefemale ring, the throw of each bolt being regulated by a pin-and-slot connection 24, the slot being formed in the present instance in the shank of the bolt, and the pin being carried by one of the back plates. At this pointparticular attention is called to the fact that these bolts work in openings formed in the solid metal of the door and project into recesses likewise formed in thesolid metal of the body. Suitable metal inserts may, however, be used to insure a proper fit, so that these bolts add considerably to. the holding'power of the locking-threads, which would not be the case if the bolts were carried by a screw-ring bolted tothe door, since when the door is pulled away from its ring the bolts being, as stated, located in the ring add nothing to the security of the structure. The bolts could be made tapered, and thus act to wedge the door into the jamb. For throwing the bolts into their locking position a suitable spring 26 is provided, one end of which fits into a notch or recess 27 in the disk 17, the other end being secured to one of the back plates. For maintaining the disk, and thereby the bolts, in their normal or unlocking position suitable means are provided, comprising in the present instance a pivoted dog 28, carried by the male screw-ring and connected with a springactuated plunger 29, carrying a catch 30 at its inner end engaging a notch 31 in the disk 17.

\Vhen the door is screwed home and as it is finally brought to its seat, with its male thread in engagement with the female thread, the dog 28 will come into contact with one end of one of the sets of threads when the locking means formed as an interrupted thread or with a projection if otherwise formed, thereby throwing the dog and actuating the plunger against its spiral spring 32 and withdrawing the catch 30 from the notch 31 in the disk, whereupon the spring26 rotates the disk in the direction of the arrow 1/ by throwing the bolts outwardly and automatically locking the door against rotation.

The unlocking of the door is done automatically by means of a time-lock and a motorspring usually provided for this purpose, (not shown herein,) whereby when the time-lock runs down it trips a catch holding such spring, so that the spring on being released moves the pin 33 in the direction of the arrow X), which projecting into the slot 3-f of the disk is in engagen'ient with the end wall thereof and rotates the disk, causing it to withdraw the bolts, such disk being held in such position by the catch 30.

The door is supported for rotation by a suitable hinge -LO, preferably in the form of a crane-hinge, the ends of which are pivoted to a disk or plate 50, having a hub 51, carried upon a stud 52, formed, preferably, a part of a flanged disk 53, shown fixed into a chamber or recess 5%, formed at the outer side of the door. This flange carries a rack 55 or has formed thereon a rack for engagement with a pinion 56, carried by the plate or disk 50, the outer end of which is squared for the reception of a crank by means of which the door is rotated. The door and plate are held in proper relation by means of a nut and washer 57, located on the tfn-eadedend of a stud 52.

Of course it is to be understood that the body of the structure, especially when in the form of a vault, could be made up of several members, as in some of my patented vaults, since in such cases the front is made as an integral structure, so that the member-s4: would still be located between integral walls, without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I clain M 1. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door formed of unmachineable metal and having complementary locking parts formed of machineable metal, said parts being rigidly secured to the door and bodysubsequcntly to the casting thereofand so located between opposing intcgrally-connected surfaces that the strain thereon is carried directly by the door and body.

2. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door formed of unmachineable metal,and means havingcomplemen tary locking-segments formed of machineable metal located in opposing recesses formed in the edge of such door and the jamh of the body and rigidly secured to such door and body.

3. A safe or vault comprising a body formed of umnachineable or non-workable metal, and an integral or one-piece rotary door likewise formed of u-nmachineable or mm-workable metal, said door and body having complementary locking means formed of machineable metal, the locking means of the door being fixedly secured to such door against movement independently thereof with a wall integral with the metal of the door located at the rear or inner side of such means so that strains on such member are received directly by the metal-forming part of the integral door, and the necessity of otherwise fastening such locking means against depthwise separation from the door rendered unnecessary.

4. A safe or vault comprising a body and a door each formed of non-workable or unmachineable metal, and complementary locking means formed of machineabfe metal for maintaining the door in the body and located wholly between the outer and inner surfaces of the door and body with surfaces integral, one with the other of the umnachinimble metal at each side thereof and secured againstmovement.

A safe or vault comprising a body and a rotary door having complementary locking means, said door being formed as an integral structure of rum-workable or umnachineable metal with its locking means fixedly secured thereto against movement and formed of machineablemetal, and located in a recess formed in the periphery thereof, the wall of such recess at the inner side of such locking means being integral with the door, so that the strains on such locking means are received directly by the integral door.

6. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door of unmachineable or unworkable metal, each having an annular recess, and a ring of workable metal located in each of said recesses and fixed against movement, and carrying means cooperating with the means of its con'ipanion ring for maintaining the door closed.

7. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door of unmachinealde or unworkable metal, each having an annular recess, and a ring of workable metal located in each of said recesses and fixed against IIO 'movement and carrying interrupted threads cooperating with the means of its companion ring for maintaining the door closed.

8. A safe or vault comprising an integral or one-piece body, formed of non-workable or unmachineable metal, a stationary ring formed of machineable metal fixed to said body against movement and having interrupted lockingsections, and an integral or one-piece rotary door likewise formed of un machineable or nonworkable metal having an annular recess in its periphery, a sectional stationary ring located therein and formed of machineable metal and having complementary interrupted locking-sections, the wall of said recess at the inner side of said ring being integral with the door, so that the strain on such ring is received directly by the integral metal forming the door. A

9. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door each formed of unmachineable metal and provided with an annular recess and a sectional machineable ring located in said recess and fixed against movement and carrying threads cooperating with similar threads of its companion ring for maintaining the door closed.

10. A safe or vault body provided with an annular recess in its jamb and a fixed, and nonmovable ring located in said jamb between two surfaces of such body integral one with the other and carrying locking-threads.

1 l. A heat-treated unmachineable-metal safe or vault body having a doorway provided with a recess in its jamb having its two side walls integral, one with the other, and a fixed machineable member located in said recess and carrying locking means.

12. A safe or vault comprising a body and a rotary door, said body and door having complementary locking means, the locking means of the door comprising machineable metal means fixedly secured to and carried by the door in front of an integral unmachineablemetal wall thereof, so that it is held in position against depthwise separation therefrom by the metal of the door itself, and not by the use of independent fastening means separate from the door metal, and which metal is in position to receive directly any strain upon such locking means, due to explosive force or otherwise.

13. A manganese-steel safe or vault body having a doorway provided with a recess in its jamb having its two side walls integral one with the other, and a machineable member located in said recess and carrying locking means, and means for securing said member against movement and comprising a fastening device embedded in a soft-metal insert located at the inner side of said member.

14:. A safe or vault body formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal having a doorway provided with a recess in its jamb having its two side walls integral one with the other, a machineable member located in said recess with its side faces engaged by the integral walls of said body and having lockingthreads, and means projecting through said member for preventing movement of said member.

15. A safe or vault door formed of unmachineable or non-workable metalhaving a recess in its edge with its two side walls integral one with the other, and a machineable member located therein against movement and provided with locking means.

16. An integral safe or vault door formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal having a recess in its edge and a machineable member located therein and provided with segmental locking means, and means for preventing movement of such member.

17. An integral safe or vault door formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal having a recess in its edge and a machineable member located therein and provided with locking means and means for preventing movement of such member and comprising bolts embedded in soft-metal inserts at the inner side of said member.

18. An integral safe or vault door formed of unmachineable or nonworkable metal having an annular recess located in its edge, and a fixedly-secured sectional ring located in said recess and carrying locking-faces.

19. An integral safe or vault door formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal having an annular recess located in its edge, and a machineable and sectional ring located in said recess and carrying locking-threads, and means for preventing the movement of said ring relatively to the door.

20. An integral safe or vault comprising a body and a door, each formed of unmachineable metal, and having means for locking the door against rotation and withdrawal and comprising means, secured against movement, carried in the jamb and edge'respectively of the body and door and formed of machineable metal for maintaining the door in its closed position and means located to work in juxtaposition to said fixed means and eflective to prevent the rotation of the door.

21. An integral safe or vault comprising a body and a door, each formed of unmachineable metal, and having means for locking the door against withdrawal and comprising means fixedly secured in the jamb and edge respectively of the body and door and formed of machineable metal for maintaining the door in its closed position and means located to work in juxtaposition to said fixed means and eflective to prevent the rotation of the door and comprising bolts, and means for automatically protracting said bolts when the door is turned home.

22. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door each formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal, and having means for locking the door against rotation and withdrawal and comprising machineable members having locking-faces and seated respectively in the jamb of the body and edge of the door, and cooperating to maintain the door in the jamb, means comprising bolts working in openings and recesses formed re ing the door in its jamb and so located that an integral part of such door is at the inner side of and receives the strain on said member.

2%. An integral safe or vault door formed of unmachineable metal and provided with means for preventing the rotation and withdrawal of the door from its jamb and comprising one or more boltways, a bolt fitting in each of said ways, automatically-operative means for operating said bolts and a machineable member carried by said door and so located that an integral part of such door is at the inner side of and receives the strain thereon and constituting a partof the means for holding the door in its jamb, and provided with threads or lugs.

25. A safe or vault comprising a body and a rotary door having means for locking the door against rotation and withdrawal and com prising complementary interrupted locking means said door being formed as an integral structure of non-workable or unmachineable metal with its locking means comprising a sectional, unmachineable-metal member having interrupted locking-faces thereon and secured to the door against movement, and located with a wall at the inner side of such ring integral with the door so that any strain on such ring is carried directly by the integral door, and means for preventing rotation of the door.

26. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door each formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal, means for maintaining the door in its seat against rotation and withdrawal, and comprising a pair of members formed of machineable metal having cooperating locking-faces each titted into position subsequentto the casting of its respective part, with surfaces integral one with the other of the door and body, respectively, located at each side thereof so that the strains thereof are received by the non-machineable metal, locking means carried by and projecting from the door and into the body for preventing the rotation of the door, and automatically operative means for operating said means.

27. A safe or vault comprising an integral body and an integral door each formed of unmachineable or non-workable metal, means for maintaining the door in its seat against rotation and withdrawal, and comprising a pair of members formed of machineable metal having cooperating locking-faces each fitted into position subsequent to the casting of its respective part with surfaces integral one with the other of the door and body respectively, located at each side thereof so that the strains thereof are received by the non-machineable metal, locking means carried by and projecting through the side wall of the door and into the wall of the body for preventing the rotation of the door, and automaticallyoperative means for operating said means, the organization being such that said locking means is also effective to assist in maintaining the door in its seat.

HENRY D. HlBBARD.

Witnesses:

A. \Vnm), R. JacKso-N. 

